Drew McKissick
{{Short description|American politician (born 1968)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Drew McKissick
|office = Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party
|term_start = May 13, 2017
|term_end =
|predecessor = Matt Moore
|successor =
|office1 = Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee
|term_start1 = January 28, 2023
|term_end1 = March 8, 2024
|predecessor1 = Thomas O. Hicks Jr.
|successor1 = Lara Trump
|birth_name = Martin Andrew McKissick
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968|12}}
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|spouse = Amy McKissick
|education = College of Charleston (BA)
}}
Martin Andrew McKissick (born December 1968) is an American politician who has served as chair of the South Carolina Republican Party since 2017.{{Cite news |last=Psaki |first=Jen |date=May 27, 2023 |title=What Biden's rivals underestimate about his digital operation |work=MSNBC |url=https://www.msnbc.com/inside-with-jen-psaki/trump-desantis-biden-digital-operation-2024-rcna86425 |access-date=November 18, 2023}} In 2023, he was re-elected to his fourth term in the office.{{Cite news |last=Rogers |first=Winston |date=May 20, 2023 |title=SCGOP reelects Drew McKissick as party chair during State Convention |work=WACH-TV |url=https://wach.com/news/local/scgop-reelects-drew-mckissick-party-chair-during-state-convention-republican-south-carolina-gop-democratic-general-assembly-convention-river-bluff-lexington-south-carolina-politics-election-may-2023 |access-date=November 18, 2023}} McKissick also served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee from 2023 to 2024, when he was replaced by Lara Trump.{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=RNC LEADERS |url=https://gop.com/about-our-party/rnc-leaders/ |access-date=November 19, 2023 |website=The Republican National Committee}}
Career
McKissick was endorsed by Donald Trump during a previous challenge for state party chair.{{Cite news |last=Lovegrove |first=Jamie |date=May 4, 2021 |title=Trump reiterates endorsement of SC GOP chairman after attorney announces challenge |work=The Post and Courier |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/trump-reiterates-endorsement-of-sc-gop-chairman-after-attorney-announces-challenge/article_52e34d1c-918c-11eb-b12c-0f11e0d23407.html |access-date=November 18, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Greenwood |first=Max |date=March 30, 2021 |title=Trump doubles down on endorsement of South Carolina GOP chair |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/545622-trump-doubles-down-on-endorsement-of-south-carolina-gop-chair/ |access-date=November 19, 2023}} Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy floated McKissick's name as a replacement for national Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel.{{Cite news |last=Folks |first=Will |date=November 11, 2023 |title=Is Another South Carolina Party Leader Destined For A National Role? |work=Fitsnews |url=https://www.fitsnews.com/2023/11/11/another-south-carolina-party-leader-ticketed-for-national-role/ |access-date=November 18, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Garrity |first=Kelly |date=November 11, 2023 |title=The McDaniel v. Ramaswamy battle continues |work=Politico |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-mcdaniel-v-ramaswamy-battle-continues/ar-AA1jNNMN |access-date=November 18, 2023}} McKissick was elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee on January 28, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Niki |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Hupfer loses RNC co-chair bid |work=Indiana Capital Chronicle |url=https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/briefs/hupfer-loses-rnc-co-chair-bid/ |access-date=November 18, 2023}}https://www.gop.com/press-release/rnc-announces-new-leadership/
McKissick was widely quoted after the 2022 South Carolina general election produced what many news outlets called a 'red wave', with a number of Democratic Party legislators losing their seats, and Republicans gaining a super majority in the state legislature.{{Cite news |last=Christian |first=Matthew |date=November 9, 2022 |title='Guarantee' S.C. GOP Chair made in Aiken comes true, Republicans gain seats in S.C. House |work=Post and Courier |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/aikenstandard/news/local/guarantee-s-c-gop-chair-made-in-aiken-comes-true-republicans-gain-seats-in-s/article_9af72f5e-6068-11ed-a6ba-97119f10ba2f.html |access-date=November 18, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Phillips |first=Patrick |date=November 9, 2022 |title=SC Republicans celebrate 'red wave' sweep across the state |work=WCSC-TV |url=https://www.live5news.com/2022/11/09/sc-republicans-celebrate-red-wave-sweep-across-state/ |access-date=November 8, 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Pollard |first=James |date=November 12, 2022 |title=South Carolina gives GOP a ruby-red bright spot in midterms |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-south-carolina-columbia-henry-mcmaster-redistricting-fcc4ba666c67952a8de783251dbed638 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}
On February 26, 2024, McKissick submitted his resignation as Republican National Committee co-chair, stating that he would be working with the Trump Campaign and the RNC to win both the Senate and the White House.{{Cite news |date=February 26, 2024 |title=After submitting his resignation this morning as RNC co-chairman, SC GOP party chair Drew McKissick chatted with Mike today. |url=https://salemnewschannel.com/watch/after-submitting-his-resignation-this-morning-as-rnc-co-chairman-sc-gop-party-chair-drew-mckissick-chatted-with-mike-tod-65dce88156c867000170590a |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=SNC.TV}} {{Cite news |last=Byrd |first=Caitlin |date=February 26, 2024 |title=Drew McKissick, leader of SC Republican Party, resigning as RNC co-chair |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/republicans-trump-rnc-gop-leadership-drew-mckissick/article_ccbf2f4e-d4bd-11ee-9bda-376388ee5432.html |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=The Post and Courier}}
On November 15, 2024, the South Carolina State Election Commission certified a new Republican supermajority in the South Carolina Senate, the first time since Reconstruction. McKissick stated, “It was the biggest Republican wave in this state since Ronald Reagan.”{{Cite web |last=Holdman |first=Jessica |date=2024-11-15 |title=Democrat state Sen. Gerald Malloy loses in recount solidifying SC Senate GOP supermajority • SC Daily Gazette |url=https://scdailygazette.com/2024/11/15/democrat-state-sen-gerald-malloy-loses-in-recount-solidifying-sc-senate-gop-supermajority/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=SC Daily Gazette |language=en-US}}
External links
- [https://www.c-span.org/person/?121760/DrewMcKissick Appearances] on C-SPAN
References
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{{s-bef|before=Matt Moore}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party|years=2013–present}}
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{{Republican State Chairs}}
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Category:21st-century South Carolina politicians
Category:American political consultants
Category:Republican National Committee chairs
Category:South Carolina Republicans